Great White Shark spotted off Charleston coastline during fishing trip

posted by Sydney Ryan, Anchor/Reporter, WCSC -
Jun 7, 2018

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The deep-sea fishing day for Marsh View Fishing Charter started just like any other.

"We were there catching Cobia, King Mackerel, the usual suspects,” charter captain Tim Mullins said. “All of the sudden we're reeling in fish and there's a large shark."

But this wasn't the typical Bull or Tiger shark, which are often seen in the waters near the Charleston coastline.

"It's a real live Great White Shark," Mullins said. “People have to travel to exotic places in the world to see that."

Mullins said has been fishing in the Charleston area for more than 40 years and has never seen a Great White shark or a shark of that size. He says it was approximately 16 feet, which was about half the size of his boat. About 25 miles offshore, Mullins says the Great White shark took down a 60-pound fish from their line in one gulp.

"It was gone just like that, not even a drop of blood, it just inhaled it," Mullins said. "We see Tiger Sharks do that but they'll bite it in halves. This sucker just took the whole thing," Mullins said. “It just had a lot of girth, big head, giant dorsal fins, big pectoral fins. It did its traditional circling around the boat."

The sighting had mixed reviews from local beachgoers.

"You never know. There could be more sharks out there!" Charleston residents Allison Gobel and Riley Noland said.

"Swimming in there, yeah. It did make me want to try and catch a couple myself," Charleston visitor Christopher Sullivan said.

"Hope they stay in their place and we'll stay in ours," Jennifer Yesil said.

"It doesn't bother me. I'd get in the water with it," Mullins said, adding Great White Sharks are not interested in people as snacks. "It's more curious. They like to eat seals, they ate that Amberjack. Seals and big fish, they're not interested in us."